The Alabama Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. 

Continue to check back over the course of the week, as the Alabama Scouting Staff will add scouting reports daily.

 

Friday, April 15th

+ RHP Sam Mitchell (Bob Jones, 2023) was in control throughout his start on Friday as the junior commanded all quadrants of the zone and was able to mix pitches at will. It was obvious from the onset that he would heavily mix pitches as he started the game with four straight breaking balls before establishing the fastball. Using his 6-foot-7 frame, the Alabama commit creates solid downward tit on the fastball at 86-88, T89 mph and showed sink to the lower half of the zone. The slider is a definite weapon at 73-75 mph showing late, sweeping action that he could throw for a strike as well as a swing-and-miss offering. He only allowed two hits, no earned runs and did not walk a hitter. He also struck out 11 hitters.

Sam Mitchell (4/15/22)

+ RHP Noah Toney (Florence, 2022) was very impressive in his outing on Friday as he was the tough-luck loser in the 2-1 final. Toney, a Wallace-Hanceville CC recruit, was able to feature all three of his pitches and showed equal confidence in all of them. The fastball showed legitimate arm side action at 83-85 mph and was up to 86 mph as he was able to get in on many of the right-handed hitters. The senior also featured a quality breaking ball at 75-76 mph with 12-6 action that he was able to locate down in the zone as hitters swung over the top of the pitch. The changeup was very impressive from an identical arm slot that he showed a ton of feel with at 72-74 mph. He finished going 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB & 3 K's.

Noah Toney (4/15/22)

+ 3B/RHP Braden Booth (Bob Jones, 2024) continues to establish himself as a legitimate two-way prospect but Friday it was the bat that once again jumped out. Showing a good rhythmic setup and looseness in the hands, the Mississippi State recruit easily got to a pitch on the inner half of the plate and hammered it for a no-doubter over the wall in LCF. Booth did a nice job staying through contact with the barrel which created a ton of carry and backspin. It remains to be seen what he does at the next level, as he'e been in the low-90's with his fastball on the mound. The talent in both aspects may be that he can continue to do both as his baseball career progresses.

Braden Booth (4/15/22)

 

Wednesday, April 13th

+ RHP Griffin Stewart (Auburn, 2022) was once again ultra-effective on the mound as he worked into the 7th inning in his third consecutive outing (Hartselle, Smiths Station, Central). Getting the nod in a big 7A Area 4 series facing their arch-rival, Stewart turned in a complete-game performance needing just 96 pitches to clinch the Tigers' spot in the Class 7A Playoffs. In his outing, the senior right-hander worked 84-86 mph with his fastball, moving it to both sides of the plate effectively. Stewart also showed the ability to mix-and-match two distinctly different breaking balls from his arsenal. His slider at 72-75 mph (2300 rpm) featured more sharp, lateral break and was mainly his go-to secondary offering, while also showing feel for a slower 12-6 breaking ball at 69-72 mph (2300 rpm). Using a more controlled, smooth delivery, Stewart has a short, high 3/4 slot with a quick arm and hides the ball well. He finished earning the W going 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB & 7 K's.

Griffin Stewart (4/13/22)

+ C Walker Zapp (Auburn, 2022) collected three hits, including a double, in the Tigers 4-0 win on Wednesday over Central-Phenix City. The Air Force signee has shown a mostly pull side approach with a pair of singles to left field, but he also showed the ability to drive balls the other way as he barely missed a home run by hammering a double off the wall in right field. Zapp continues to improve behind the plate at each look by handling a deep Tiger pitching staff. The transfer has significantly improved to go with solid arm strength on throws to the second base bag. The senior also showed natural ability to extend the plate for his pitchers and works hard behind the dish to block balls in the dirt.

Walker Zapp (4/13/22)

Tuesday, April 12th

+ RHP Colin Daniel (Corner, 2022) was in complete control Tuesday in the Yellow Jackets 3-0 win over area rival Hayden. The UAB signee allowed only four base runners the entire game and he seemed to be at his best with people on base. On two separate occasions, two men reached with no outs and Daniel took things into his own hands and struck out the next three batters he faced. The senior worked from a high ¾ slot and did a nice job hiding the ball from hitters in his delivery while showing a fastball at 87-88 mph (bumped 89 mph once) with occasional cut. Without question, the elite pitch in his arsenal is the slider at 75-77 mph that shows late lateral movement. Daniel showed the ability to throw the pitch in any count and was able to throw it for a strike while also using it for a swing-and-miss pitch. He allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out 14 hitters.  

Colin Daniel (4/12/22)

+ LHP Konner Keplinger (Mortimer Jordan, 2023) impressed in our second time to see him and continues to prove to be a top uncommitted arm in the 2023 class. Keplinger consistently showed a low-effort delivery with the ability to mix a well-shaped slider with the fastball. The southpaw can easily pitch backwards but did a nice job of establishing the fastball early as he worked at 86-87 mph, and bumped 89 mph one time early in his outing. Working from a low ¾ slot, the fastball shows solid arm side action. Keplinger showed a ton of confidence in the slider at 72-74 mph and was able to command the pitch down in the zone. From that low ¾ slot, he is an incredibly tough matchup for LH hitters. 

Konner Keplinger (4/12/22)

+ 3B Logan Duffner (Mortimer Jordan, 2022) collected two hits in the game as he showed the ability to stay in the middle of the field. Early in the game, the uncommitted senior got a fastball over the heart of the plate and hammered the pitch to the backside gap for an RBI double. Duffner demonstrated the ability to keep the barrel through the hitting zone, creating carry of the bat. Later in the game, Duffner extended a later at-bat and showed a shortened-up, off-the-knob approach with a direct path to contact and singled sharply to the backside. He also showed some solid arm strength across the diamond from the hot corner. 

Logan Duffner (4/12/22)

+ RHP Eli Moore (Gardendale, 2022) did not factor into the decision but continued to compete over six innings and give the Rockets a chance for a win. Moore, who has signed with Harding University in football, showed high level competitiveness on the mound and had the stuff to match. Working from an over-the-top arm slot, Moore showed nice downward tilt on the fastball at 83-84 mph, topping early at 85 mph and maintained velocity throughout the game. The breaking ball is a definite two-plane pitch with solid 12/6 shape that he was able to spot up to both sides of the dish at 71-73 mph. The fastball also showed some late movement to the arm side. 

Eli Moore (4/12/22)

+ OF Nick Rigdon (Gardendale, 2022) has quickly become a name to know among uncommitted seniors across the state and Tuesday night did nothing but help his case as he collected two hits in three at-bats, plus an important sacrifice fly late in the game. Rigdon opened the game for the Rockets with a line-drive single to the backside gap and later came around to score. The 6.57-runner led off the sixth inning with a double to right field and later scored to give the Rockets a 6-5 lead. The speedy centerfielder can also cover gap to gap in the outfield as well. He will be a solid addition to a college program in need of an outfielder.   

Nick Rigdon (4/12/22)

+ RHP Hunter Thompson (Mortimer Jordan, 2022) was given the ball in the seventh inning of a high intensity one-run game and the UAH signee retired three of the four hitters he faced. Working from an up-tempo delivery and high ¾ slot, the arm action was identical for both the fastball and breaking ball and he showed solid command with both pitches. The fastball was 85-87 mph, bumping 88 mph a few times, while pounding the lower half of the zone with the pitch. He also showed a high level of confidence in the breaking ball at 74-77 mph that he threw in a number of different counts. The pitch seemed to just disappear away from RH hitters and showed true, late depth. Thompson’s breaking ball ranks up toward the top of quality breaking balls we have seen during the 2022 season.

Hunter Thompson (4/12/22)